


No Running Away

by DaphneTheAdipose



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: AU, Canon Divergence, F/M, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 20:06:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19410454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaphneTheAdipose/pseuds/DaphneTheAdipose
Summary: Héctor manages to grab Miguel before he runs away at the music competition. The boy is young and foolish, doesn't know how lucky he is to have a family that cares. He doesn't know how it hurts when it's too late.He doesn't have a clue about the confrontation just waiting for him around the corner.Au, Canon Divergence.





	No Running Away

Héctor can't believe the kid. How can he reject the blessing from his family just because they didn't approve of music? He put his life at risk, counting on receiving a blessing from Ernesto. Sure, he may have been a little biased on the subject of his former friend, but that doesn't mean he isn't right. Music isn't that important, he'd learned that too late in his life. 

He never should've left Santa Cecilia.

So he would drag the chamaco to his family, despite his protests.

"Let me go, Hector!" The boy rages from where he is tucked in under Hector's arm.

"You're playing with your life, insisting on Ernesto's blessing. And you shouldn't have run from your family.”

"If you don't let me go, I won't put your photo up on our ofrenda." Miguel finally threatens in his desperation.

The threat pierces Héctor in his heart and makes him falter for a moment before continuing on.

"That doesn't matter as much as having you safe in the Land of the Living again." He states quietly and Miguel stills in shock. Good. Carrying a struggling boy isn't that easy for his bones. And it was fine. It wasn’t but having Miguel put up his photo was a long shot, especially with Ernesto as a great-great-grandparent.

"Where's Miguel's family!? Hello, living boy, right here!" He cries over the din as he makes his way over to the hostess.

"Miguel? Oh Miguel, gracias a dios we found you."

Héctor freezes. That voice tended to have that effect on him.

"Imelda?"

He puts Miguel down who looks up at him. "You know my Mama Imelda?"

Mama Imelda. No mistake then. Miguel is family of Imelda. Which made him Héctor's family. His heart thrills at that. Even if he never crossed the Marigold bridge, he'd met a member of his living family! A spirited young boy with a mischievous streak. With the guts to run away from his Imelda. Who was piercing him with a most heated glare.

"Héctor."

He chuckles nervously. "You look good."

Imelda's appearance and the realisation that Miguel was his family had him shaken. He had one hand on Miguel's shoulder to keep him from running away again, but it wasn't as secure as holding him in his arms. Without any warning Miguel swipes his arm through Héctor's backbone. Startled, Hector lets go and before he knows it, the boy is running again. 

Dios, he is fast.

“Miguel!” He and Imelda cry out which earns him a glare from Imelda before she jumps on a huge (!) alebrije and takes to the air after her wayward relative.

Leaving Héctor with her… family?

His family, he realizes.

All with aprons on, like matching uniforms.

The twins he at least recognises. Taller though, grown-ups now. Not the teenagers they were when he left Santa Cecilia.

The others… not so much. A tall woman with glasses and a severe stare that reminds him of Imelda a lot, a short man with a moustache and a great hat and a slightly taller plump lady.

Finally Oscar interrupts his musings.

“Héctor.” His voice reluctant and steely. “What were you doing with Miguel?”

“Yes, well, that’s a funny story.” Héctor chuckles, the chuckles fading away as the twins treat him to a double raised eyebrow. “I was trying to, if you will believe it, bring him to his great-great-grandfather.”

Oscar looks at Felipe, who looks back at Oscar and then they both look at Héctor in an eerie imitation of Imelda’s please-tell-me-you’re-not-this-stupid-look.

“But you’re his great-great-grandfather“ Felipe adds incredulously.

“So he is!?” Héctor exclaims delightedly. “Oh, I had no idea! Well I had no clue we were family until well, just now. Miguel told me Ernesto de la Cruz was his great-great-grandfather. No idea why he seems to think so unless…” and his voice dies away as he considers the option that Imelda and Ernesto… together… 

It would be an explanation as to why Ernesto avoided him as the plague nowadays. Never mind never telling his family that he died, but marrying his wife after he did? That… he doesn’t think he could forgive Ernesto for that. But those thoughts are dispelled as Oscar shakes his head with Felipe frantically shaking his head even more. 

“Oh okay. So I have no clue as to why he did think that. Which is a pity because then I could’ve told him he was wrong and I would’ve sent him back already.” 

The men exchange grim expressions as thoughts return to the wayward kid.

“How is he?” Oscar inquires.

“We tracked him down to Ceci’s and she said he was already a skeleton.” Felipe continues.

“Oh no no no no, he’s still fine. I mean, yes turning skeletal, but so far it’s only his hands. I painted his face so he’d blend in more, that’s probably what made Ceci say that.”

“Excuse me.” The three men turn around to the other Rivera members who’d been left on the wayside as their Tios talked to the stranger. But Victoria isn’t one to just be left in the unknown.

“Who are you?” She says peering at Héctor through her glasses in a way that reminds him a lot of Imelda. Did she ever wear glasses? Oh how he would have loved to see that.

Her glare intensifies to a point that Héctor realizes he hasn't answered the question.

"Oh, well, hi. I'm Héctor, I'm" He stops, his hand outstretched but not reaching for anyone in particular.

What is he? He wants to say he's Imelda's husband, but Imelda didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Estranged husband? Ex? He doesn't want to introduce himself that way! What is he? What is he to these people? What are these people to him? Family. But is he?

He doesn't notice the wary looks from the strangers, the way they become slowly uncomfortable as they see him sag. And he doesn't see the pity in the eyes of his brothers-in-law as they catalogue that same tiredness and hesitance and collectively decide to take it easy on him. He's involved now, by way of Miguel if not anything else.

"Victoria," Oscar begins. "This is your grandfather."

**Author's Note:**

> Buckle up.
> 
> I'm here for this until the end, but it might take me a while.


End file.
